It’s formally draft rumor season. Final week, Kelly Iko at The Athletic reported that the San Antonio Spurs are “massive followers” of UCONN’s Stephon Citadel. Iko writes:
“The Spurs are stated to be massive followers of UConn’s Citadel, league sources stated, and he’s shifting up their draft board. San Antonio has two top-10 choices and will take Citadel with both the No. 4 or No. 8 choose.”
On high of that, Jonathan Givony at ESPN reported that Citadel doesn’t plan to conduct exercises for groups with long-term begin level guards in place, just like the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Portland Path Blazers.
It’s not exhausting to learn the tea leaves right here. Citadel’s camp is making an attempt to steer him in the direction of a selected vacation spot. The Spurs appear to be one in all, if not the one place they’d like him to play. Hardly ever do the Spurs leak their draft plans and up to now there hasn’t been a confirmed supply out of San Antonio (to our data) stating their curiosity in Citadel.
And but, it might not shock me if the Spurs preferred Citadel. San Antonio Basic Supervisor, Brian Wright, definitely has a kind. Large gamers who can play a number of positions and defend appear to be excessive on his precedence checklist. Lack of taking pictures has not deterred him from choosing a participant up to now (assume Jeremy Sochan and Sidy Cissoko.) Citadel is a 6-foot-6 guard/wing hybrid who will do the soiled work and is a brilliant offensive participant. He’s some of the intriguing prospects within the draft and matches a necessity for the Spurs.
Stephon Citadel, 6-foot-6 guard/wing, UCONN
2023-2024 stats: 11.1 factors, 2.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 47.2% FG, 26.7% 3PT, 75.5% FT, 50.7% EFG
Participant comparability: Bruce Brown
Strengths
Watching Citadel play protection is a pleasure. He was UCONN’s defensive stopper as a freshman. Citadel was assigned a number of robust matchups this yr, whether or not it was Mark Sears at Alabama, Devin Carter from Windfall or Kam Jones of Marquette. He went toe-to-toe with the very best scorers in school basketball and gave them matches.
Citadel’s success on the defensive finish stems from his motor, footwork, body and energy. He’s 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan and has some bulk at 210 kilos. He’s athletic too, with a 37-inch vertical and three.19-second three-quarter courtroom dash time. Citadel has versatile hips, giving him the power to maintain the ball in entrance of him even when he has to vary instructions. His size helps him contest photographs not solely on the perimeter but in addition on the rim. He wasn’t requested to do it typically, however Citadel displayed some means to change onto larger gamers and maintain his personal. His body additionally helps him clog up passing lanes, regardless of not typically producing too many steals.
The defensive metrics again up Citadel’s effectiveness, too. UCONN has a 95.5 defensive ranking with Citadel on the ground, in comparison with a 101.5 when he was on the bench. In response to Synergy, Citadel was within the 94th percentile in factors per possession allowed within the pick-and-roll and the eightieth percentile in isolation protection.
Greater than something, what makes Citadel a great defender is the depth he brings to the sport. He’s a relentless on-ball defender and is persistently locked in off the ball. He’ll hound ball-handlers, battle by means of ball screens, rotate off the ball to contest a shot, take prices and crash the glass. He’s fast to fifty-fifty balls and does all the soiled work that wins video games on the margins. In a tightly contested sport in opposition to convention rival, St. Johns, Citadel performed 39 of the video games 40 minutes, guarding with depth all through the win. It was a powerful showcase of his profitable defensive perspective.
Citadel was a 5-star recruit and first initiator in highschool. UCONN had veteran ball-handlers in Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton, that means Citadel wanted to share point-guard tasks and play off the ball. Not many extremely touted recruits would buy-in to that change in function, however Citadel did and a Nationwide Championship was his reward.
Citadel improved tremendously as an off-ball participant. Whereas he didn’t shoot the ball at a excessive stage, he’s an clever cutter who can manipulated a protection to open up appears for others. Numerous instances Citadel would lower by means of the paint opening up extra space for Donovan Clingan on the roll or Spencer on the perimeter. UCONN’s offense requires fixed motion with a number of screens, dribble handoffs and designed cuts in a single possessions. Citadel was capable of do all of it for the Huskies as a lead ball-handler and off-ball participant.
UCONN head coach, Dan Hurley, had Citadel convey the ball up so much, but in addition used him as a screener, the place he made stable contact and confirmed some fascinating reps as a roll man. As a ball-handler, Citadel is affected person and doesn’t make a variety of errors. He averaged simply 1.5 turnovers a sport in his freshman season. He didn’t create as a lot offense as you’d like from a lead guard (extra on that later) however he normally made the best play within the half courtroom. Spurs followers shall be comfortable to listen to that he was at his greatest when he was passing to UCONN’s massive males. He’s inventive along with his dump off passes across the basket and made good entry feeds to Clingan within the publish.
Most of Citadel’s appears offensively got here within the paint. He has first rate contact on turnarounds and floaters from about 8-10 ft away from the ring. He makes use of his size properly to create angles for himself across the basket and has a lighting fast spin transfer. On straight line drives, Citadel makes use of his energy greater than his pace to provoke contact and get to the free throw line – he had a 37.9% free throw charge his freshman season. He’s an okay finisher on the rim, however lacks a inventive arsenal of finishes on the basket that assist him rating in opposition to robust protection.
Stephon Citadel attacking Windfall below/swap protection – drive left, spin again + utilizing his shoulder to create separation pic.twitter.com/lMrcG39jRb
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) Could 25, 2024
What’s most spectacular about Citadel are his intangibles. He has a excessive basketball IQ and really feel for the sport. He purchased right into a groups scheme as a freshman and emerged a champion. Earlier than the championship, Hurley described Citadel in a chunk by Kyle Tucker at The Athletic:
“Hurley likes to name Citadel ‘the anti-entitled five-star freshman,’ as a result of there has by no means, not even within the recruiting course of, proven a whiff of curiosity in his private stats or enjoying time. He required no guarantees. Didn’t even balk on the truth (Tristan) Newton was completely not giving up the No. 2 jersey to a rookie.”
It’s obvious in the way in which Citadel performs that he’ll do no matter it takes to win. The qualities he’s exhibited remind me a variety of different soiled work guards like Bruce Brown or Marcus Good. Citadel is a participant who will affect profitable on the margins and has the upside to turn into one thing extra along with his mixture of ability, body and athleticism.
Weaknesses
Those that are decrease on Citadel will instantly level to his lack of three-point taking pictures. Citadel shot simply 26.7% from deep this season and 75.5% from the free throw line. He shot simply 27% on dribble jumpers at UCONN. His mechanics are gradual and labored. It appears like Citadel is considerably uncomfortable along with his personal type. He’s taking pictures throughout his physique and actually loading as much as ship the ball towards the ring. Trying intently at his type from the free throw line, it appears like Citadel has a stiff wrist that doesn’t absolutely bend again, which implies he’s virtually catapulting his shot on the rim. It’s going to take some heavy funding from a taking pictures coach to clean out his mechanics.
Should you’re an optimist, you may level to Citadel’s spectacular star taking pictures efficiency on the NBA Draft Mix as an indication his shot is bettering. He shot 18-25 within the drill, however I don’t take a lot inventory in taking pictures in an empty gymnasium with no defenders close to you.
On high of Citadel’s taking pictures woes, he doesn’t profile as a participant who will create a variety of his personal offense within the half courtroom. Regardless of his pace and energy, Citadel isn’t a participant who creates house for himself off the bounce. Give him a display and he’s nice (74th percentile scoring) however don’t anticipate Citadel to be a high-volume isolation scorer. He’s additionally susceptible to drive the problem a bit offensively. He makes use of his pace and energy to get into the paint however can get swallowed up and drive errant photographs or passes. Often Citadel makes the best choices, however it looks like generally frustration will get the very best of him, inflicting some pressured offensive errors.
Should you nitpick Citadel’s protection, you’ll discover he will be susceptible to foul bother. Citadel is a bodily defender who will get in opposing gamers house. He’s going to foul each as soon as in awhile. It’s additionally honest to say that the NBA sport is extra bodily than school and shall be extra forgiving for Citadel. He’ll even be enjoying with six fouls quite than 5, which implies this shouldn’t be a significant concern on the skilled stage.
Spurs match
It’s exhausting not to consider San Antonio when watching UCONN. The Huskies have an offensive scheme primarily based on ball motion involving 5 gamers who can dribble, lower, cross and display. Given the Sochan level guard experiment, it looks like that is the kind of group the Spurs wish to put round Victor Wembanyama. Citadel would give them one other participant who can do a variety of issues offensively – whether or not that’s at level guard or off the ball.
Citadel can be a great praise to Wembanyama regardless of his lack of taking pictures. He’d be capable of neatly lower into the open house created by the doubles despatched at Wemby. Much like Tre Jones, he can get downhill out of the choose and roll and discover the large man on dump offs or lobs. He might not create house with deep taking pictures, however as an instinctual offensive participant, he might nonetheless open up alternatives for San Antonio.
If it weren’t for his three-point taking pictures, Citadel can be the right match for the Spurs. What number of non-shooters are you able to play subsequent to Wembanyama? Sochan and Citadel would give opposing groups two gamers they don’t have to respect from deep. Which means Wembanyama would see extra double groups and paint packing. The Spurs aren’t fairly on the level the place they’ll cross on high-end expertise strictly due to a taking pictures deficiency, however at a sure level that weak spot must be addressed.
Defensively the match is seamless. Citadel would give them a powerful defender on the level of assault who can even guard larger wings. A beginning lineup with Citadel, Sochan, Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell and Wembanyama can be massive, lengthy and imply defensively.
Greater than something, Citadel would convey a profitable mentality to San Antonio. He’s a grinder and a champion. The Spurs have a historic tradition of profitable, however it helps to have gamers who can uphold it. Gamers with Citadel’s mixture of expertise, really feel for the sport and motor sometimes have lengthy NBA careers. In a draft stuffed with uncertainty, you may wager on a participant with Citadel’s intangibles.
Earlier Prospects:
Rob Dillingham
Reed Sheppard
Nikola Matter
Zaccharie Risacher
